The Edo State Ministry of Education has announced the cancellation of one of the leaked question papers for the ongoing Basic Education Certificate Examination (BECE) due to public outcry.
Public outcry had followed the discovery of question papers for yet-to-be-held examinations.
A report by the Midwest Herald had earlier exposed examination malpractice that involved officials of the Edo State Government.
The officials were accused by stakeholders of deliberately leaking examination questions to teachers in public schools to enable them to prepare their pupils for the test.
One of the several papers reported by the Midwest Herald was the ‘Creative and Cultural Arts (CCA)’ that was scheduled for Friday, June 14, 2024. The paper had been cancelled.
According to the Commissioner of Communication and Orientation, the decision followed a viral video showing leaked copies of the examination paper being used to wrap roasted corn.
The episode has expectedly sparked outrage and concerns over the integrity of the Edo State examination process and the claims of Governor Godwin Obaseki’s EdoBest education reforms.
The Ministry’s decision was communicated through a public notice signed by Ero Ugiagbe on behalf of the Commissioner of Education.
The notice reads: “The Ministry of Education guarantees the integrity and security of our examinations, aligning with international standards.
“We prioritize the unbiased and merit-based education of our children, untainted by political interference.
“In response to the alleged Cultural and Creative Arts (CCA) question paper leak, the Ministry, in collaboration with stakeholders such as AFED, APSON, NAPPS, and others, has decided to cancel the scheduled examination for tomorrow, June 14, 2024. Instead, a practical assessment will be conducted at a later date, which will supplement the continuous assessment scores to determine the students’ final grades.
“The Ministry apologizes for any inconvenience this may cause and appreciates your understanding of our commitment to ensuring the integrity of our examinations.”
A terse message had earlier been hurriedly shared on the WhatsApp group of APSON, which raised the alarm that the state government was aiding and abetting examination fraud in the public schools to the detriment of private schools.
“Good evening, all. I am supposed to let everyone know that tomorrow’s Creative and Cultural Arts (CCA) paper scheduled for Friday, June 14, 2024, has been canceled. We are sorry for any inconveniences this may have caused you,” the message read.
Sources said the subject was one of the many examination papers that were made available to school heads by the Ministry so teachers could coach students on the correct answers as part of hyping the success of the government’s ẸdoBEST programme.
It was gathered that this practice has been in vogue since the inception of EdoBest ‘education reform’ by Mr. Obaseki’s administration, in a bid to create a high standard in the Edo State education system.
The state government has yet to assure the public the steps it will take to prevent future leaks by agents of government.
This incident underscores the importance of maintaining strict security measures for examination papers to uphold the integrity of the educational system in Edo State.
Curiously, the discovery happened during the week Edo government celebrated the annual jamboree ritual called “Education Week”, which has remained a major source to drain on the state’s resources.
[Midwest Herald]
